


our ceiling is your floor

by xseelenfrieden



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dadko, Family, Fluff, Gen, I have no regrets, Not Compliant with Avatar Comics, Post-Canon, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent, azula had her redemption arc and it's beautiful, azula is also mentioned, implied Kataang, it's bonding with your daughter over your cool dragon fire time guys, mentioned mailee, no beta we transcend this mortal realm and go into the spirit world like iroh, rainbow fire, this is very self indulgent and wholesome so yeah...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28616745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xseelenfrieden/pseuds/xseelenfrieden
Summary: When Izumi discovers her bending, things do not go quite as planned.However, having also had a rather ambivalent relationship with his bending, the Firelord seems to know just how to convince his daughter to give her newly found ability a second chance.Or:I firmly believe that we could all use a little bit more rainbow fire in our lives. So I decided to provide. Enjoy!
Relationships: Izumi & Sokka (Avatar), Izumi & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 92





	our ceiling is your floor

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, I started to write this back in September/October, being inspired by the whole atla/lok resurgence (and the zukka ofc) and thinking to myself: What could the fandom possibly need more of? Well, rainbow fire of course! 
> 
> It was only supposed to be like 5k max but then I got IDEAS and well, this happened. I finally managed to finish it over the winter holidays (because being a med student during a global pandemic is Not Fun), so here it is! 
> 
> Although I mostly went with my own headcanons, a lot of stuff in this probably got influenced by the amazing atla/zukka tumblr, so if you want me to credit/tag anything, go ahead and tell me! :) (Same goes for potential tws/cws, that I might not have been aware of!) 
> 
> Also: English? Not my first language, so please correct me if you notice any major mistakes etc! 
> 
> Lastly: I didn't forget Druk i swear, I just couldn't figure out how to include him in this so it's kinda ambiguous whether he exists or not... maybe after this, Zuko and Izumi go visit the dragons and then find and adopt him... something like that :))) 
> 
> If you're interested: i made a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7vyTSCFYQJhxbdIirBhAoc)!

They really should not have been as surprised as they were, the first time that it happened. But even having a rather late-bloomer as Firelord did somehow not prepare them for the first time that tiny sparks began to originate from the fingertips of the young princess. 

It was a mild afternoon, a few months after her sixth birthday, and Izumi was happily playing in the royal gardens, surrounded by fire lilies and little turtleducklings. It was quite the peaceful scenery, if one did not look too closely. Because with further inspection you could definitely make out the three guards stationed under the canopy to the side of the garden, near the door that would lead to one of the infinite corridors of the royal palace.   
Not even for one second did they dare to take their trained eyes off the small child laughing happily in the rich grass. 

When the laughter suddenly cut out and was replaced by a high-pitched scream, the guards only hesitated for a moment before running out into the garden. Because what they had just witnessed, had caught them completely off-guard. 

The princess was said to be a non-bender. The sages saw no spark in her eyes, nor did her breath manage to set the timber alight that they had placed beneath her face right after she was born. Of course one could never be completely sure - her own father did not start producing his own flames until the age of six as well - but still... In the past centuries it had been extremely uncommon for a member of the royal family to not start bending within at least the first two years of their life. 

When the first guard arrived, Izumi was already clutching her now red hand against her small chest, the fire lily she was holding until a few seconds ago now reduced to ashes at her feet. A tear was rolling down her face and she looked up, scared and confused about what had just happened. 

The guard herself was left a bit confused as well. The discovery of one's firebending usually did not wield such... clear results. Usually it would just be a spark, a small puff of smoke maybe, when angered, or even a candle that started to move with the breath of the young child. But to burn a whole flower and herself right at the start.. It was strange. 

Slowly, the guard lowered herself on the ground and carefully took the girl's hand to inspect it further. 

"Does it hurt a lot, my princess?" 

Izumi shook her head and let another tear fall down her other cheek. With wide eyes, she was still looking down to her feet and the pile of ashes that the wind had started to take away. 

"I scared them. They ran away because of me." She took a deep, shuddering breath and squeezed her eyes together to prevent any more tears from escaping. 

The guard let go of the princess's hand and looked at her questioningly: "What do you mean?"

Izumi's gaze shot upwards and her wet, golden eyes stared directly into the dark brown ones before her when she managed to stammer: "The babies, the turtleducks. They saw the flame and they were scared, so they ran away. All of them. They were scared that I would hurt them, just like.."   
Again, she stared at her hand, an angry red but not a serious burn. With the right care, it would be completely healed within the next few days. 

The guard sighed and smiled when she took Izumi's other hand in hers and lead her away from the garden and into the corridors of the palace. 

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll come back. They were just surprised, is all. In a few day's time, you'll be best friends again." 

That managed to bring a small smile to the girl's face: "You really think so? Because I'm really sorry that I scared them and I want them to know that I'm sorry, so that we can play again some other time. You think, they'll understand?" 

"I'm sure of it, my princess", the guard smiled and led them down another corridor, "But for now, we should focus on your hand. I will take you to see the healer and I will also inform your fathers about what has happened, okay? I'm sure they will come to see you as soon as possible." 

Izumi nodded slowly and squeezed the hand holding her unburned one. There were no more tears in her eyes, but the intimidated and confused look had not yet left her face. 

◊◊◊

The burn on her hand really was not all that bad. It had rather been the shock und fear this first-time bending experience had instilled in her, that had caused her to cry. Now that her hand was treated and carefully wrapped in white bandages, only a small, uneasy feeling remained in her chest. 

Right after the healer had started working on her hand, her two dads had rushed in and asked if she was alright. She did not want to scare them any further, so she had smiled and nodded, even through the slightly uncomfortable feeling of the burn paste being applied to her skin. They had stayed with her throughout the whole process and even afterwards, sitting on a bench in the royal gardens and telling her stories of the beautiful and mystical dragons, which had been the first firebenders and the ones to teach the humans how to control this feisty element in the first place. 

Calmed by their presence and hearing about all these exciting myths, Izumi completely forgot how late it had gotten and was only reminded by a yawn sneaking past her lips, that the sun was already starting to go down, painting the roofs of the royal palace a warm orange. 

"Come on, sweetie, why don't we get you inside and into bed? This must have been a really exciting day for you, you must be tired", said Sokka, lifting Izumi off the bench and onto his hip so that her head could rest on his shoulder. Instead of an answer, another yawn escaped her lips and she let her arms rest on her dad's shoulder, ready to fall asleep right on the spot. 

There was a hand brushing away her bangs and her other dad, Zuko, moved to press a soft kiss onto her forehead. She giggled as he moved to ruffle her dark hair that had come loose from the small topknot. 

"I'm sorry, but I can't come with you right now", he said with a sigh, "The Sages wanted to talk to me about something, said it couldn't wait until tomorrow..."

The hand in her hair stilled and he looked Izumi in the eyes as he said: "So promise you won't stay up too late and bug your dad again with questions of our old adventures, alright?" 

He smiled as she opened her eyes fully and puffed. 

"I won't.. too sleepy... Besides, it's always more fun when you both tell them... or Uncle Aang! He's the best at telling stories..." 

Zuko chuckled and gave her one last peck on the forehead. 

"I guess he is." 

Before he disappeared into another part of the palace, he pressed a soft kiss on his husband's lips and smiled: "I'll see you later tonight." Then he was gone and Sokka moved Izumi to sit on his shoulders as he took off into the palace. 

"Let's see how fast we can get you into bed, little princess. You remember the way? Because I'm not sure which turn to take next." 

Izumi held onto her dad's head and laughed. Of course she remembered and was able to guide them safely through the many corridors leading to the sleeping quarters of the royal family. 

◊◊◊

Sokka was just about to help her change into her robes for the night when there was a knock at the door. Upon his confirmation, the door opened and a guard appeared. 

"Ambassador Sokka, your presence has been requested by Ambassador Chin. He said it would not take long, but the matter is rather urgent as he plans to depart for the Earth Kingdom this evening." 

Sokka sighed and looked at Izumi sitting on the edge of her bed, eyes wide and uncertain. He knelt before her and took her uninjured hand in his. 

"This won't take long, sweetie, I promise. Just change into your robes and I'll be back faster than you can say 'Lionturtle', alright?" 

"Lionturtle!", Izumi proclaimed loudly and snickered as her dad started to tickle her softly. 

"I mean it, I won't be long. And then I will tell one, just one, of our adventures with Aang and the others." 

Izumi nodded: "Okay, Dad." 

However, as soon as her dad had left, she felt that unease she hadn't felt since she was taken to the healer, creep back into her stomach. She did not know what was going to happen, now that they had discovered her ability to bend. Were things going to change? A lot? 

When Sokka had not returned after a few minutes, she could not take it anymore and carefully snuck out of her bedroom and hushed down the hall in the general direction of the more private meeting rooms. If the other Ambassador had to talk to her dad, it would surely be in one of these rooms, right? She had often observed both her dads disappearing behind these doors with other important men and women to have a private conversation. 

But when she reached the first door that, somehow, was not shut completely it was not Sokka's voice that reached her ears but Zuko's. And from what she managed to understand, he was not happy with whatever he was currently discussing in there. 

"Is there any need at all to have this discussion right now? The same evening? I don't see why this cannot wait until tomorrow, when we all had time to gather our thoughts. Why now?"

"My apologies, your Highness", Izumi recognized that voice distantly. It belonged to one of the scary, red men that never seemed to smile or to show any emotion at all. Her dad called them the 'Sages', but she had no idea what their exact purpose in this palace was. And why was her dad speaking to them this late? 

The man continued: "I understand your concern, but it is of the upmost importance that we confirm the next course of action regarding your daughter's abilities. For centuries it has been the duty and the privilege of the Sages to support and to train the newly discovered benders of the royal family. Regarding the most recent... revelation, it is only right to discuss what can be done to insure the safety of the princess and of those around her." 

They were talking about her, Izumi realised with a start. She did not understand everything being said, but she was sure they were talking about her bending. Slowly, the feeling of unease and dread seemed to grow within her. 

"What do you mean? Just be clear so that we can get this over with and I can retire to my quarters and my family for the evening", her dad sounded determined, but just like with her, there seemed to be a bit of unease peaking through. 

"Her abilities, although discovered fairly late into her life, seem to be powerful. While most children only manage to produce tiny sparks in the beginning, she burnt a whole flower.. and herself. She is old enough so that her bending may prove to be a threat to her safety and to the safety of the people around her. We cannot be sure that she won't accidently burn herself again or set one of the wooden parts of the palace on fire. She especially needs to learn to handle her emotions and her breathing, as this is a challenge for most young firebenders. I absolutely do not mean to disrespect the young princess, but we, the Sages, have discussed this matter thoroughly and must strongly advise you to let her start her training under our observation. She needs to learn how to control her powers and that can only be done if we start immediately. If we fail to do so, we might risk another accident.. Or worse." 

Zuko took in a sharp breath just as a quiet whimper managed to sneak past Izumi's lips. 

Was that really true? Were her new abilities that dangerous? After all, the little turtleducklings had immediately fled when her hand started to smoke. There was no excitement connected to her newfound bending, just worry and fear. 

Why did it have to be this way? She was fine even without being a firebender. She absolutely adored the little wooden training swords her other dad had gifted her for her sixth birthday and could not wait to start training with them. Mai, her mom, and Ty Lee, her other mom, had also promised to show her some non-bending tricks and she had been thrilled. Was this all about to change? Would there even be time for her to spend on sword fighting, if the Sages wanted her to start training with them?

And she did not like the Sages. They were tall and scary and always addressed her with 'Your Highness', instead of using her actual name. With their large headpieces they always seemed to loom over her, trying to access or judge her for everything she did. And now she was supposed to train with them? Alone? 

The tears which she had so bravely fought against before now started to come back to the surface. She did not want to hear anymore of this and quickly turned on her heel to take off in the direction she had come from. 

As she reached the doors to her room, she quickly looked around to check of someone had noticed her escaping. Luckily, the guards for the night had not yet arrived so she could be sure that no one had seen her. She closed the door behind her as quiet as she could and was relieved to find that Sokka had seemingly not yet returned from his discussion with the Ambassador. Slipping under the covers she pulled the blanket up to her nose and pressed her eyes together to stop the tears from escaping. 

Control your emotions, the Sages had said, right? She could do that just fine and she would show them! There was no need for her to train with them! 

A soft knock disrupted her thoughts and made her snap her eyes open. She was relieved when she saw, that it was just her dad, who had returned from his meeting with the Ambassador. He carefully closed the door behind himself and moved silently to stand beside her bed. As she pulled down the blanket to her hips and sat up, he started to smile and plopped down beside her, smoothing down the hair on the back of her head. 

"You're still awake? Were you waiting for me?"

Izumi nodded enthusiastically, proud to have managed to swallow down the tears threatening to escape her eyes: "You promised to tell me one of your stories!" 

He laughed and gestured for Izumi to lie down before shifting a little bit closer to her head to smooth down the light blanket. 

"Oh, did I? Well I suppose, if I promised to do so, I can't really back out now, can I?" 

And just like that he started to explain how, when he was 15, he managed to spend almost half a day stuck in a hole right in the middle of the Earth Kingdom, waiting for someone to come rescue him, while also getting friendly acquainted with a small Saber-tooth moose lion cub later named Foo Foo Cuddly-Poops. 

These kind of stories always managed to take Izumi's thoughts off whatever troubles seemed to occupy her mind. She felt herself slipping off and could almost imagine herself in the situation her dad had been in, more than ten years ago. Over the last few years, Sokka had become one of the best storytellers and she loved listening to their old adventures. He only was second to Aang, actually, but her uncle could not visit as often as she would like, which just made her appreciate the time she got with him even more.   
Izumi did not even notice that her dad had stopped talking and was pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, smoothing down the top of the blanket for the last time this evening. 

"Sleep well, little one. This has been far too stressful a day for you." 

With that, he got up and moved to extinguish the remaining candles in the room, making sure to not leave them accidently still glowing. You could never be too sure with those things. He closed the door silently behind himself and the room was wrapped in darkness one again, only interrupted by the small sparks escaping her lips every other minute. 

◊◊◊

The flames were climbing higher, engulfing everything and everyone in their path, never stopping, never hesitating and leaving only ashes behind. 

There were screams, thousands of voices flowing together in an ocean of horror and fear. She tried to keep them out, to clasp her hands over her ears and squeeze her eyes shut but nothing seemed to work. They were inside her, inside her head, inside her mind. 

She felt hot. Like a fire was burning right inside her chest, threatening to consume her as well, from the inside out. Izumi tried and failed to take a breath, her throat clamming shut from all the smoke surrounding her. 

The smoke was hot, so hot, and it burned in her mouth, in her eyes and on her skin. 

There were faces, so many faces. Faces she knew and faces that she had never seen before. But they were all filled with a terror that made her want to turn around and run away. 

However, there were flames in every direction. There was no escape, not for her, not for anyone. The fire started to rise again, seemingly clutching and trying to touch her with bursts of hot, red flame. 

It grew and grew and now there were no more voices, no more cries for help, only the roaring of a fire that nobody knew how to control, a fire that could not be controlled. Never. Especially not by her.

Izumi screamed. 

◊◊◊

Zuko was not completely sure what had awoken him that night, but as he stirred and slowly opened his eyes, he could still make out Yue sitting high in the night sky, the stars beside her looking exceptionally beautiful tonight. Smiling softy, he noticed that Sokka had again moved to his side of the bed during the night and was now curled up at his back, legs intertwined with his, one arm draped over his waist and snoring calmly into his neck. His smile widened as he moved to turn around and felt his husband responding immediately, tightening his hold on his waist and grumbling some unintelligible phrases before burying his nose into his long, silky hair and returning to the soft snoring of before. 

He was just about to close his eyes and try to get some more sleep as well, when he finally noticed what had woken him up in the first place. 

He could faintly make out some sort of commotion out in the hallway outside of their chambers. The guards were definitely talking to someone which made him tense for a second. There had not been any assassination attempts in the last five years and maybe, he thought, they were growing too careless? However, he immediately relaxed when he heard a quiet, high-pitched voice answering to whatever the guards had asked them. 

Izumi. 

Just as he was about to slip out of Sokka's grip to go and check what all this was about, the door to their bedroom opened and Izumi appeared, two guards following closely behind her. She looked like she had been crying, her cheeks seemingly still wet and shining in the light of the moon coming from the large doors of the balcony. She was trembling and had her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, as if to steady herself in some way. 

Zuko quickly moved to untangle himself from Sokka, ignoring the sounds of disapproval and the hand moving to grab the edge of his robe. He went to crouch down in front of Izumi, carefully wrapping his arms around her as she fell against his chest and waved his hand at the guards, dismissing them. They did not need to know about everything going on in the private lives of the royal family. Especially not his daughter's. 

He waited for them to close the door behind them, before he picked up Izumi and went to the adjoined sitting room, moving to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace, keeping her on her lap so he could look at her more clearly.   
"What's wrong, 'Zumi?" 

She sniffled again and moved to bury her head in his chest, clutching at the front of his robes. 

"Did you have a nightmare?" 

A soft nod. So small, you could have easily missed it, but Zuko knew his daughter and was always paying close attention whenever she got like this. He tightened her arms around her and in return she tightened her grip on his robes. 

"It's alright now, trust me. Whatever made you afraid is not real. It was just a dream, a nightmare. An evil spirit trying to mess with you. You're here with me now, you're safe. No spirit will ever get to you here, I'll make sure of it!" 

He felt Izumi relaxing a little bit at his words. However, she was still not ready to lift her head from his chest, although her breathing had slowed down a bit and she was seemingly no longer crying. 

Closing his eyes, he continued to keep her close, feeling her warmth against his chest that he noticed had definitely increased since he last held her like this. If there had been any doubt about Izumi's newly discovered abilities, he would have gotten his confirmation right now. Being a firebender himself, he could feel the still timid flame rise and fall in his daughter's chest, totally in synch with her breaths. It was a miracle, really. He had never been able to feel anything within her and now... There it was, a living, breathing fire, already growing steady and extending past her core to her limbs, even to the fingers currently still entangled in his robes. 

Sadly, he felt like he had to agree with the Sages on one aspect: Her flame was strong. It was incredible how large it had gotten only within the span of one day and from what he was gathering right now, it did not intend to stop any time soon. Control was of the utmost importance, that he could agree with.. If only... 

His thoughts were interrupted by a small head being lifted and bright, golden eyes staring into the almost exact copy that were his.

"Dad?" 

"Yes? Is there something still bothering you?" 

Izumi shook her head and looked down, almost seeming too embarrassed to continue. She pressed her lips together and despite the obvious fear in her eyes, she looked back up and asked with a voice just as determined as it was filled with uncertainty: 

"Was it because someone made a mistake? Because they couldn't control what they were doing? Was it because of that?" 

Zuko did not immediately understand what she was asking, which apparently showed in his face because she then took one deep breath and went to clarify: 

"You know... When- When you got hurt", she looked up again, gaze fixed on the left side of his face, "Did it happen because someone couldn't control their bending? Because they didn't train enough?" 

Suddenly, the tears in her eyes were back, threatening to spill out again. 

He stopped himself before he could draw a sharp breath as to not disturb her any further. Obviously, he had already expected that he would have to have this conversation someday with his daughter, but... not like this. Not this sudden, when they were both still confused from just having woken up and especially not when Izumi had just discovered her bending a few hours earlier. With thoughts this disturbed and in disarray.. No, it definitely was not time yet. 

So he sighed, drew her in again, cradled the back of her head in one of his hands and stared to rub soothing circles onto her small back with the other. 

"Shush, 'Zumi, don't worry, it was nothing like that, trust me. It had nothing to do with any of this. This was... not an accident, not somebody being to weak or to untrained to control their bending, ok?" 

He smiles softly. "I will tell you more about it another time. That alright with you?" 

She again had clutched his robes in her still a little chubby hands and drew in a few breaths, then sniffled. Like time and time again, it struck him how young she still was. Although he could not completely protect her from being a child growing up in a nation still marked by the war they fought to end many years ago - and a descendent of the very people that caused this tragedy - he would do everything in his power to make sure she never had to endure anything even remotely similar to what they experienced. This nation deserved to heal, the children deserved to have a childhood. His daughter deserved to enjoy the beautiful naïveté that was taken from them way too early on. 

Her cheeks were still a bit chubby, because she never had to feel that constricting weight in the back of the throat during dinner. The weight that had always settled there when cold, bright eyes stared at him from the other side of the table, always judging, always angered by something and always so disappointed. 

It had been so hard for him to even get through half of his meal with these eyes constantly on him and his trembling hands. So when Zuko noticed with how much joy Izumi always moved to sit at the table when the servants brought in their dinner, how she chatted happily with him and Sokka about whatever had happened that day, not even waiting to swallow down the last bits of noodles when she had an especially exciting story to tell. She knew she could leave whenever she wanted to, but still more often than not, she stayed and quietly listened to even the boring political discussions he and his husband sometimes fell into. And when she had a question, he would answer her patiently, would explain everything to her, because she deserved to be recognized, to be treated with respect and never to be shut down, even if she continued to ask questions long after the servants had already removed the dessert. 

Because she was his daughter and she was perfect. Her curiosity was a blessing and there were times when her questions had lead to long discussions at night in bed, that most often ended with both of them having to admit how sharp their little girl really was. 

Sometimes she was wise beyond her age, leaving them with a lot to think about and sometimes... she was not. And that was okay. She was six years old and she deserved to be exactly that. To be a child, to make mistakes and to stuff her mouth full of tiny pastries until her stomach could not take any more. 

Zuko would not let anybody take away the warmth he felt when she rolled onto the floor, her tummy full moon peaches and started to giggle when she saw the look of her dads. The warmth he felt when Sokka reached for his hand and started to stroke his palm, grinning when he lifted his head and beamed at him. 

So he held her tightly against his chest and finally, she nodded, slow but certain. 

Zuko felt extremely relieved seeing this, but tried not to let it show. He carefully threaded his fingers through her short hair, getting rid of a few of the tangles that had snuck in there during the night and probably especially during her nightmare. 

"Alright, thank you, my love." 

He held her for a few more minutes, waiting for her to calm down again and trying to calm the flickering and raging inner flame inside her stomach with his own soothing and calm one. He could feel his chi reaching out to her and he tried to synchronise his breathing with Izumi's. Finally, something seemed to click and she started to visibly relax in his arms, her inner flame getting smaller and more stable, still burning brightly but in a controlled and peaceful way. He could also thank the dragons for that. Meeting them had not only improved his bending, but also the spiritual connection he felt to it. Understanding where his fire came from, learning how to control and to nourish it and, at last, how to share it with others and how to form a connection solely based on the chi that flowed through their limbs. 

However, while thinking of his encounter with Ran and Shaw long ago, another idea started to form in his mind. He did not know if he would be able to execute it perfectly as he had not practised this specific technique in quite some time, but... It was worth a shot. 

For his daughter, for Izumi, everything was worth trying. 

He waited a few more moments, then started to carefully loosen his hold and tried to look into her still swollen, red eyes. For a few seconds, they remained unfocused but then she began to blink and finally looked at him curiously. 

"Dad?"

"I have a surprise for you. You ready to move and go outside?" 

Izumi furrowed her eyebrows at first but then she smiled and nodded enthusiastically: "What kind of surprise?" 

He chuckled. "I'll show you when we get there, alright?" 

◊◊◊

In the end, they did not end up outside, Izumi being way too excited to find out what the surprise was. But her balcony was overlooking the garden, giving them a beautiful view of the small pond and the lights of the capital city in the distance and that was fine. 

It was eerily quiet that night. The usual noise from the buzzing city somehow muffled, as if someone had laid an invisible blanket over the palace and its gardens, isolating it from the world outside. 

And maybe that was just what they needed that night. The feeling of being alone, of being untouchable and unnoticeable up on that balcony. A small world for just the two of them. 

Zuko moved to sit on the cold floor with his legs crossed and patted the space right in front of him. 

"Sit down and then I'll show you the surprise." 

His daughter's eyes were opened wide with excitement and curiosity. She struggled and failed to keep her legs still, finally letting them bob up and down at her sides, not caring anymore. Her hair was still in disarray and the area around her eyes was still a bit puffed and red. But in her gaze he recognized the Izumi he was used to. Always interested in what he or what Sokka was doing, always wanting to know more, to have everything explained to her in detail. It could be exhausting at times, to have such a bright daughter, but in this moment he could not have been more happy. 

It had broken his heart, the way her shoulders hung during the day, the way her eyes always seemed scared, waiting for something to happen, for something to catch fire again. It was not supposed to happen like this. When she had been born, he had sworn to himself to never let anything harm her, so that she never had to go through something even remotely similar to the reality of his childhood. And now she had been burned. Agni, burned! 

Of course, it was only small and she most likely did not even feel it any more, the burn paste having done its job. But the moment he arrived at the healer he had felt like throwing up. This was not what was supposed to happen. His daughter did not deserve to experience what a burn felt like, what it smelled like- 

He shook his head. Enough of this. This was about Izumi, not about him. He had taken her out here to make her feel better and, apparently, that had already worked out quite well. 

"You ready?", he asked with a small smile. 

"Of course! Just show it to me, please! Don't be mean, Dad, I wanna see!" 

Zuko chuckled as her lips started to curl, leaving her to pout at him with accusing eyes. Ever the impatient one, just like him when he was younger. This realisation lead to another rush of warmth within his chest, which he used to further fuel what he was about to attempt. 

"Alright, my love, but promise to sit still. This will probably take a moment." 

Izumi eagerly nodded and let her legs settle down at her sides, although he could still see her feet and toes fidgeting under her night robes. His smile only continued to grow at his daughter's excitement until he forced himself to close his eyes and concentrate.   
He moved both hands in front of him, letting his forearms rest on his thighs and crossed his palms with one of them facing up. Trying to block out any noise or sensation from around them, Zuko straightened his back and took the first of many deep breaths. 

The situation was less then ideal, if he was being honest. The sun still would not be up for another four hours at least, so he noticed his connection to Agni's power not being as strong as he wished it to be. Ideally, he would also try to meditate for at least an hour beforehand. And most importantly, he had not practised this particular technique in many months, the last time probably being a lazy afternoon, after trying and failing to ignore the nagging of his husband to see his 'special, magic flames' another time. 

Zuko noticed his thoughts starting to stray away from the task at hand and focused back on his inner flame. Although the air was fresh up here on the balcony, the thought of Sokka and of Izumi sitting patiently in front of him, made the warmth in his chest grow and grow, until it was nearly as strong as he needed it to be. 

Yes, just like that. He could feel it spread to his belly, flow around his body, until it also reached his hands and begged to be let out, his palms tingling with the little sparks already being released. But he still head to wait. This would not be enough for what he was planning. 

So Zuko focused. He focused like he had not done in a long time. In his head, he went back to that otherworldly meeting more than ten years ago. Ran and Shaw. He tried to remember what it had looked like, what it had felt like and swore he could almost feel the heat and intensity of their flames around him again. Enveloping him in a heat so massive, but never hurting, never suffocating. A heat like a warm furnace on a cold winter night, like a blanket a loved one lays over your shoulders when you stayed up working way too late yet again. A heat like a summer on Ember Island, surrounded by all the important people of your life, your family, the biological as well as the spiritual kind. 

Warmth. Life. Energy. 

And it was when he started to remember these things, that he finally felt his inner fire react the way he wanted it to. The warmth still remained, but it had changed almost unnoticeably. It now felt lighter, free, just like the fire that engulfed Aang and him all those years ago. 

And when he finally opened his eyes and noticed just how wide Izumi's own were at that moment, he was reminded once again why it had all been worth it. 

Because there it was! It had come back. That spark he had missed so much during the day. It returned to her eyes right as the colourful flames start to take shape in his palms. 

Her usually golden irises now served as a mirror to reflect the sheer multitude of colours being produced right in front of her face. Zuko had never seen his daughter this fascinated, this entranced by something. He chuckled. Obviously. He vividly remembered how he himself had just stood there in awe, even after the dragons had already disappeared, still overwhelmed by the beauty he had just witnessed. It was quite a sight to behold, so he let Izumi have a few moments to take it in, to tilt her head and look at the small, but strong, flame from all the different angles. 

"So, how do you like your surprise?" 

But Izumi was still way too focused on the colourful fire right in front of her. She had naturally drifted closer to the flame and Zuko could feel her inner flame trying to reach out, to connect to his own. Her hand rose and she almost touched the flames when she suddenly seemed to notice what exactly she was trying to do and quickly pulled back her hand. Cradling it against her chest, the other one put on top, fear started to again manifest in Izumi's eyes. But this time, Zuko would not let it happen. 

"You can touch it, trust me. It won't hurt, I won't let it burn you. Actually, I think it's quite a nice feeling, people always say it feels really warm, like a hearth in winter, and it tickles a bit. But you should try it yourself." 

Izumi still looked a bit unsure of herself but as she looked up, he gave her an encouraging smile. 

"Trust me. This one is your friend." 

Her lips twitched to form a smile themselves and with a newfound enthusiasm, Izumi reached our her hand, that was not wrapped in bandages, and let it rest above her father's palms, right in the middle of the flames that were constantly changing in colour, again and again. 

Her mouth moved to form a small o, but then it widened and she started to laugh. A quiet, reserved laugh, but filled with much relief and fascination nonetheless. And she could not seem to stop. 

Beaming with excitement, her eyes still twinkling with all the colours of the rainbow, she smiled at Zuko. 

"You're right, it does tickle. A lot."

And again she started to laugh, turning her hand, wiggling her fingers. Finally trying to grasp some of the flames, but somehow they always seemed to elude her. 

It's still too early, Zuko thought, they won't respond to her yet. 

"This one feels so... warm, like...", Izumi struggled to find the right words to describe what she was feeling and looked up to the sky in concentration, biting her lip and furrowing her brows. 

"Like.... like a small turtleduck. No, more like, a two-tailed pittapheasant chick. Like the one you and Dad showed me last summer. The small one, that still couldn't fly. She was sooo pretty with her blue and yellow wings and her long tails, but she also looked really sad." 

Zuko remembered the little chick clearly, but he had never heard the flames being described like this, so he was intrigued.

"What makes you think of the small chick? Is it the warmth?" 

Izumi thought for a moment, turning her hand one more time and then sticking the other, bandaged one into the flames as well. Luckily he had enough control to prevent the bandages from catching fire too. She shook her head. 

"Kind of, but not really. The chick was warm too, but different."

"What is it then? I'd love to hear what you think." 

"You remember when you gave me the chick and Dad said that I should be careful? That she was still too small, and weak compared to her siblings?"

Zuko nodded. 

"Well... I think he was wrong. The chick was small, yes, but she wasn't weak. Not at all. I... When I held her, when I put my hand right on her red chest, I could feel her heartbeat. And to me, it seemed strong. A steady rhythm, going thump, thump, thump." 

She held one of her hands against her chest and tried to mimic the heartbeat she had felt that day. 

"It didn't feel week, it was steady and strong, so I wasn't afraid. I knew that the chick would grow up strong just like her brothers and sisters." 

She smiled happily. 

"And it did!" 

Zuko laughed softly. Sometimes he still forgot how bright his daughter really was, and how observant when it came to these kind of things. 

"You're right. I think she is now flying around the palace all-day, even joining us in the garden by the pond from time to time. And she reminds you of this flame?" 

"Oh, yes! It's exactly the same! I can feel it beating, right here, in the centre. It's... like the chick's heartbeat, small but strong. It feels alive." 

Izumi continued to beam at him and he could not stop himself from removing the lower palm and ruffling the crown of her hair affectionately. 

"It's funny that you say it like that. You know, Uncle Aang said the same thing when we experienced it for the first time. How it beats, almost like a little heart. And I think it's not only this rainbow fire that's like that. If you just concentrate enough and try to understand it, you can feel a little heartbeat in every fire around us." 

She looked at him, not quite convinced yet.

"Even those large, scary flames in the ballroom?"

Zuko almost laughed out loud, managing to stop himself right on time as to not disrupt the fragile atmosphere they had build. The torches they used to light up the vast ballroom when they hosted some kind of formal event were indeed kind of imposing. He also remembered being scared of them as a kid. But he would not tell Izumi that, obviously. 

"Yes, even those ones. They might seem all big and scary, but if you focus enough, they are not so different from this little flame right here. All fire is life."

Izumi nodded, now being completely intrigued by the flames between them, and continued to move her hands through them. Her brows furrowed like they always did when she thought about something. Then suddenly, her head shot up again. 

"Can you teach me to do that too? I also want to make a rainbow! And..." 

She looked down at her crossed legs for a moment, almost as if she felt ashamed of something. 

"And... I don't want the turtleducks to be scared of me anymore. I want to show them that I can still play with them, even with my fire, so... Can you teach me? Please? I want to learn it from you and not one of these scary..."

Izumi suddenly clamped her mouth shut. Zuko smiled softly and nodded to encourage her to continue speaking. 

"Go on. Tell me what's wrong. You may be able to keep some secrets from me, but Dad's always going to find out, so you can just tell me right away." 

That at least made Izumi smile a little, snorting through her nose at her father's blatant honesty. 

"I... I just don't want some old, scary men to train me all the time. I want to spend time with you and Dad, and with my moms, and so I just thought... I've never seen anyone with these colourful flames so that means you must be good, right? So good, that you can teach me, right? Please say yes, these men scare me, they never laugh like you and Dad when you are together, they always seem... angry. And I don't like it when people are angry..."

She continued to ramble on, like a dam had broken and all of the thoughts she had been bottling up inside were now able to run free. Zuko stayed silent and let her voice all her thoughts, all her insecurities.   
He did not know where she could have gotten the idea from that the scary men - the Sages, or ministers he assumed - were going to teach her. And if it was only that one fear occupying her mind, he would be able to calm her fairly quickly. But remembering her question about his scar earlier that night and that fearful look in her eyes, he could not help but think that there was another, far more serious, issue to address. 

His questions were soon answered by her continued rambling. 

"... but I think they are kind of right when they say that I don't have control yet, that I could hurt someone... Even myself or my family or...."

Her breathing had suddenly quickened by a lot and Zuko knew that he had to put a stop to this right now, or she would lose all the calmness she had just gathered. So he put out the flame in his hands, raised his palms to rest on her small shoulders and leaned forward so that they were eye to eye. He saw the flash of disappointment in her eyes as the colourful fire disappeared but her breathing did not seem to slow down.

"Izumi, my love, listen to me. You need to breathe, ok? In and out, yes, just like that. You're doing great." 

He continued to talk to her softly and when her breathing had slowed down enough, he lightly squeezed her shoulders, smiling at her: "Now. You are saying that you are scared because you fear that you don't have enough control over your bending yet? And that you might hurt someone or that something horrible will happen because of that? Is that right?"

She raised her head and their eyes met. Then she nodded softly. 

"It's what the scary men said."

Zuko immediately shook his head and started to explain: "Those men are idiots." Izumi snorted. "Ok, not always, but sometimes, they are. Real idiots that don't really understand everything about what they are talking about. You just discovered your bending a few hours ago. Nobody is expecting that you are already perfect at it. That's impossible. Not even your Aunt Azula was that good, believe me, I saw it with my own eyes."

That especially caught Izumi's attention. 

"Not even Aunt Azula? Is that true?"

Smiling again, he nodded: "Yes, it's true. Even she had to learn, needed someone to teach her. Everyone does, some more and some less. And... about the control." 

He paused there for a second, trying to find the right words while Izumi kept staring at him curiously. 

"Of course, control is important in firebending. This is the thing all the great masters teach you about when you first start learning and they are right. It is like the key to your bending, it unlocks everything else and allows you to attempt more difficult forms. Without it your fire will either be too weak or too unstable. But... what most don't tell you about it this." 

He moved one hand from Izumi's shoulder and let it rest in the centre of her chest. Right where he could feel her inner flame pulsating beneath his fingertips. Over the years, he had found it way easier to connect to his bending in this way, so he thought it might be the same for his daughter. 

"See where my hand is? Your inner flame is right in this spot. Try to feel it, even if it seems a bit hard at first, but it is there. This is what fuels your bending, what gives you your energy, even when you are not using fire. It is probably one of the most important parts of yourself and if you want to understand your bending, you first need to understand the fire inside yourself. Can you feel it?"

She had closed her eyes at his words, her brows furrowing in concentration. After a few moments, he felt the flame flickering, then growing, becoming more steady, more calm.   
She smiled. 

"Yes, I think I can. It is... almost like the rainbow flame you showed me. Like a beating heart. Except, I already have one of those so... it's a second heart?" She opened her eyes to stare at him questioningly. "Is that possible? Two hearts?" 

Zuko smiled at that. "I think it is. This is what it should feel like. Like it is a part of yourself, a part that belongs to you but also kind of has its own force, right inside of you. I think you've already connected to it, I can feel it rising and falling with your breath. This is good, this is what you need to remember. Although it may seem scary and dangerous at first, this fire is yours, you control the heat und the flames, because it is you. Like an extension of yourself." 

"Extension?", Izumi asked, not quite understanding what he was going for. 

"Yes, extension", Zuko tried to explain, "like.. a second arm or a second leg?"

Suddenly, her face lit up with an idea: "Or a second head?"

Zuko stopped for a second, then laughed and said with a certain kind of affection: "I guess you could also call it a second head. I wonder where that came from..." 

Going back to what he was about to explain, he continued: "What I'm saying is, think of it like a part of yourself, because it is just that. You can control it even without all that practise. The fire won't hurt you if you don't allow it. Of course to be better at bending, you also need to learn to control it better, but the key to that is right inside of you. You can feel it, right? You are connected to it now?"

Izumi nodded, concentrating again, making the small flame inside of her grow even calmer. 

"That's great. Just remember that feeling. And whenever there is a moment, when you might think that the fire is slipping out of your control, go back to this feeling and say: No! Not like that. It is your inner flame, part of your body, and you get to choose where is goes and what or who it touches. That way, you cannot lose it and you always stay in control. Okay?" 

Zuko looked down at his daughter hopefully. Did he find the right words? Uncle had always been better at explaining that kind of stuff, but he was not here right now, so this would have to do. He did not know whether Izumi was feeling the same thing that he was, did not know whether this applied to all firebenders or only to himself, since he experienced the dragon fire. But he really hoped that it felt at least a bit similar to her. He could not stand to see his daughter afraid of her own element. A feeling so achingly familiar to him, reminding him of a time when he was thirteen and the scar on his face was still fresh and his days were spent in his bed, flowing together in a haze of agony and shame and trying not to cry and flinch at every little motion the candles in his room made. It had taken a lot of time, patience and dedication to gain that courage, that connection back, even more time to fully understand it. He would not allow Izumi to go through something similar. She only deserved the best. 

So when she finally raised her head, her eyes still shining with tears, but now seeming more certain, more focused, and smiled at him, he swore he almost felt his heart give out. 

"You're right", her voice was soft, but certain, "I can feel it. If I say so, it grows, and if I change my mind, it shrinks back down. It's.... amazing.. it feels so alive." She giggled, touching her chest right where his hand was still resting. "And it feels.. good. Like it belongs there. Like it has always been there, I just never noticed it... Does that make sense?" 

Zuko had to press his lips together for a moment to stop the tears that had been building up in his eyes at her words from spilling out and managed to croak out: "Yes. Agni, yes it makes so much sense. This is exactly how it felt like to me. How it still feels." He could not describe how relieved he was to hear her words. This was everything he had hoped to achieve. What took him years to understand, seemingly came so natural to her. That was a good sign. A very good one. 

He could not stop smiling and finally wrapped his arms around her shoulders to pull her into a tender hug. After a moment, her hands also found their way around his torso and grasped the fabric at his back, her face tucked under his chin. A small sigh escaped her lips and he could feel her smile against his robes. 

"Thank you", she said after they had stayed like that for a little while. 

Zuko let out a breath and pulled Izumi just a little bit closer to his chest. He let his chin rest on top of her head, still not being able to get rid of the smile that had found its way onto his lips. He absolutely would not be complaining if it continued to be permanently stuck there. 

Zuko ran a hand tenderly down her back and then whispered: "I'm glad."   
He pulled back while continuing to hold onto her shoulders and looked her the eyes: "And so, so proud. This might not be important right now, but I just know that you'll be amazing. Doesn't matter what others might tell you, I know you and believe me when I say that your flame is already so strong... it will be beautiful when you get to connect to it fully." 

Izumi beamed up at him, her eyes finally vibrant again and shining like gold, even under the limited light of Yue. Suddenly, there was another idea at the back of his mind. He had not really practised this one as often, but maybe.... He had already been able to pull of the rainbow fire - even at night - so, it was definitely worth a shot. 

"What if...", he took a deep breath, steadying himself again for what he was about to try next, "What if I told you that all of this wasn't even the whole surprise?" 

Izumi raised one brow and looked at him sceptically, pursing her lips - a look that reminded him so much of Sokka, he wanted to laugh. 

"Really? There is more?" 

"There might be", he steered back a bit, not fully confident in his abilities this late at night, "We'll have to try, but I think it's worth a shot." He smiled as she nodded eagerly. 

"Show me!" 

"Alright", he said, closing his eyes again. For this, he would need just as much focus as earlier, if not more. Zuko tried to shift his attention back on his inner fire, channelling the emotions, the energy, the life he had felt just a few minutes ago. He could feel the warmth starting to spread again, coming a bit easier to him than last time. It flowed along his chi paths, a comfortable, thrilling sensation. Like before, he concentrated it on the palms of his hands, which he had now moved to rest on his knees. 

He heard Izumi gasp in front of him. 

"Now there are two rainbow fires!" 

He hummed, not yet steady enough to open his eyes. After a few moments more of concentration he could finally feel his chi starting to settle down. It had ceased to flow freely like before and now responded only to his very notion. 

Zuko opened his eyes to the (once more) awestruck expression of his daughter and felt elated. Two small flames of colourful fire now rested in his palms by his side. He focused his energy on just his hands and felt them respond almost immediately, flickering and growing in size. 

"Woah!" 

He chuckled. This was not quite what he had planned yet, but he still could not get enough of Izumi's amazement at his every action that night. 

Taking another deep breath, he furrowed his brow in concentration, while he focused on fuelling his fire. This was a technique he had discovered on accident and, since then, rarely practised. It always took a lot out of him, since he did not just make the flames hotter like Azula always did, but instead channelled his inner flame and understanding of firebending as an expression of art to be able to separate the different influences and energies accordingly, transforming its very source. 

After a few moments he could already feel them starting to drift apart, which would make it possible for him to conjure up different colours of flames, as he pleased. Even if he had never been able to stay focused for long like this, it would surely be enough. 

Red first, he thought. He could do red. Besides the usual orange of his own flames, the dark, warm red he was aiming for now, was always the easiest for him. Since his birth it had been around him constantly, surrounding him as curtains, tapestries and robes of the staff and the royal family alike. But that in itself was not enough. 

Zuko thought of the depth of the still active volcano right under their feet, and its heat that he was sometimes able to feel smouldering in the ground below. Sometimes it grew so immense that when he closed his eyes, he only saw red. It was a constant reminder of the power of Agni and of his blessing, that he allowed them and their people to lead their lives in relative peace despite the destruction they had caused for 100 years. They were not forgiven, but they were given a chance to right the wrongs they had caused, to strive for a better future for them and for the world. 

That was why the red he saw was not angry, but calm, waiting and full of power and hope. It in some way resembled his own feelings towards his nation. There was still a lot that had to be done, but they were making progress, step by step. 

And just like that, the deep red of the curtains and tapestries in the palace, that was once so oppressing and imposing, was now filled with a warmth that let in all the light, that encouraged them to move forward, to do better. And Zuko was so, so glad to see it spreading to his ministers, his staff and, most importantly, his own family. 

Their future was bright. 

It almost felt too easy, the way the colours had shifted inside his palms. With that final thought, everything except the deep, comforting red he was looking for, had disappeared. 

He brought his palms together in front of his chest and Izumi's eyes seemed to follow the fire's every movement, too engrossed to even utter one single word. 

He moved his palms so that they were facing one another, the steady flame nestled in-between. 

"Remind me again, my love, what is your favourite flower?" 

Izumi blinked as if she had just woken up from a dream. She looked at him, seemingly having missed a part of the question: "My favourite..." 

Zuko smiled and instead of answering, focused on the fire between his palms, controlling and moulding its shape to fit the vision in his mind. At first, it just started to flicker, slowly shrinking in size, until it was just like a small, burning seed, sitting between the heels of his palms. 

He carefully breathed in and out and thus, the fire started to grow in synch with his breaths. Like a small flower, breaking out of the seed, growing and growing until it started to bud right at the end of his fingertips. One more powerful breath and finally, it began to bloom. 

Six beautiful petals spread from the centre to all sides, glowing a deep shade of red and shifting together with his breath. There were flickers of orange running along the petals and producing sparks which seemed to set the air around the blossom on fire, casting a warm glow on his fingers and even reaching their faces. 

Izumi clapped her hands together in front of her wonderstruck eyes, before extending them forward again, wanting to experience and feel the glow she likely already felt deep within her through her inner flame. 

"That's... a Fire lily!" 

He nodded slowly: "Exactly. You are always so excited, when they start to bloom. These few weeks in summer are some of my favourites of the whole year. Although they do get quite hot." 

"Really hot, yes", Izumi responded, but she did not really focus on what he was saying, instead just staring at the ever-changing flower. "Can... can I hold it?" She looked up at him hopefully. "Pleasee?" 

"Of course", he smiled, "Put your palms together. Yes, just like that." 

She had put her hands in front of her, forming a small bowl with her palms. Biting down on her lower lip, she continued to eye the flower, surely excited to feel what is felt like up close. 

Carefully, he moved his hands towards her. Zuko had to make sure not to lose any of his focus, it really took more out of him to hold this fairly complicated shape, than he had expected. But he could do it. He knew he could. 

Very slowly, he cupped his daughter's hands with his own, setting his own palms against the back of her hands. And just like that, the fire lily moved as well, now sitting nestled between her small - and still a little chubby - fingers. Of course, he still maintained control of the flame, but when he held it like that, they could almost pretend it was Izumi's own fire burning this brightly between them. Soon enough, he told himself, but as for today, just let her have this. 

A hushed "Woah..." escaped her mouth with her next breath. He almost missed it, her voice being this soft and heavy with awe and an emotion he could not quite name. 

"They always wilt way too soon, so..", Zuko continued, "so I thought of this little trick. This way we get to look at one whenever we want to, you see? It's not the same, but your dad was so excited when I told him about it, that I just had to go through with it. So.. Do you like our very own fire lily?" 

Her gaze still transfixed on the glowing flower between her palms, Izumi nodded rapidly. "I think I might even like it more than the real ones. This one feels alive, like... Like my flame and so, so warm!" A shy smile spread across her face. "And like that we can have them even on the Winter Solstice, right?" 

"Well", Zuko laughed, "I can't really make a lot of them, just two or three at a time, at least in this special colour. But if it's just for the two of us - and maybe also your dad and your moms, if they ask nicely - then yes. I can get you one even on the Solstice." 

"Wow." Her smile only seemed to grow. "I really, really like this one then. Good thing Dad made you try it out!" 

Zuko chuckled: "I'm glad and yes, I should have already learned to never doubt his ideas..." 

They stayed like that for a little while, Izumi moving her hands from time to time to get a better feeling for the flower made out of flames right in front of her. However, Zuko was far from done and so, he willed the petals to fold back up until only the bud remained, like before. Then the stem started to shrink as well, until there was only a small, shimmering seed remaining, which dispersed in little embers as he breathed out one final time. 

Izumi looked up accusingly and started to pout: "Why did you make it go away? It was so pretty!" 

Zuko grinned at her and moved his palms to again rest on his knees in front of him. 

"Well, I can't show you all the surprises at the same time, now can I? Of course, if you want to stop now, that's fine, but there is still a lot I could show you." 

The pout slowly disappeared and crossing her arms in front of her chest, she nodded. 

"Alright, but you have to promise that you'll show me again on the Solstice!"

"I promise." 

Now that Izumi seemed satisfied, Zuko moved on to again concentrate his chi on his palms, creating two identical, still fiery red, flames right at their centre. 

Again he closed his eyes and opened his mind to let different thoughts, different ideas in. Red was a colour that was closely related to everything he called home, in the past and in the present. It was the colour of his people, of his nation. However, in the past years he had discovered that maybe it was not the only colour he could call home. 

His face - and his cheeks - lit up at the thought of gentle waves crashing on the shore, of water being thrown into the air and catching on his face. The ground he imagined himself standing on was not made up of ashes or sand, like the beaches in the Fire Nation. He was standing on a large plane of ice and snow, nothing but fields and mountains of white, wherever he looked. It was comforting. The cold that had once bothered him so much, back when he was still roaming the world on a tiny metal boat, now felt familiar, and somehow so, so warm. 

He could feel the smile on his face growing as he imagined the person next to him, always at his side, even now, even when they were physically apart. The light of the midnight sun standing low on the horizon was washing over them, being reflected a hundred times by all of the ice and snow around them. It caught the blue of their coats, of their gloves, their hands hanging between them, tightly interlaced. It was a stunning scenery, a beautiful memory. And he knew, if he was to turn his head a little bit to his right, there would be the most amazing and breathtakingly crisp pair of blue eyes patiently waiting for him. They would smile at each other, their breaths forming little white clouds in the cold air in front of their faces, finally intermingling as they stepped closer to one another and started to feel their warmth on each of their faces. And... he knew that if the collar of his cloak just happened to hang a bit loose that day, and if there was a particular large wave that got him to flinch for a second, involuntarily - or more likely fully aware - letting the collar fall even lower... He knew that there would be another blue item, waiting readily under his collar, only for the person in front of him to see and to marvel at. 

These feelings, these memories, they always reminded him why the colour blue was just as much a home to him as the colour red. 

There were even times when he could not quite distinguish between the two anymore, when he was not sure which was more important, which he felt more strongly about. 

And right now was one of these moments. 

So he let this feeling overtake him, flow around his body, from his chest right to his hands and into his palms, where it took control of the flame and started to change its colour as well. 

Again he knew when its effect started to show even before he opened his eyes. 

"Oh wow, now it's purple!", Izumi said and started to laugh. "And it's growing!" 

Finally opening his eyes again, Zuko lifted his hands to look at the beautiful flame for a second. A rich, intense purple fire now rested in each of his palms, growing steadily with his breath, changing colour from time to time to let forth some of the red and the blue flames that it was a combination of. This was exactly what his heart felt like. From the multitude of colours inside him, these two would always come out on top, intermingling and flowing together to produce even greater beauty. 

He felt like he did not need to say a lot this time, soon enough Izumi would also understand. 

So he just raised his arms even higher and let the flames grow even faster, soon leaving his hands to travel through the air around them. They did not feel like bursts of energy, of fire, anymore, but rather moved with such fluidity and changing direction so quickly like streams of water in a rapid river. He almost pat himself on the back for having studied this intensely with Katara on how to combine both of their bending techniques to create something completely new. It was because of her and her - more or less - patient teachings that he now willed the fire to flow around the both of them like waves, crashing at invisible shores in the air and letting forth streams of tiny, purple sparks. Just like the droplets of water that had covered his face and his clothes at the South Pole. 

Izumi's eyes were opened wide and her had was turning rapidly, not knowing where to focus her attention next, wanting to drink everything in that was happening around them. 

She opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again only to finally shut it and shake her head. 

"What... what is this? I didn't know that fire could move like this." 

Zuko chuckled and willed the fire to form a continuous stream around them, encasing them almost as if they were in a bubble of water. 

"This is something your Aunt Katara and I have been working on for quite some time now. This also works with normal fire, but I thought this would make it even more interesting. What do you think?" 

Izumi let her gaze wander around them, then focused back on his hands where the flames still seemed to originate from, before finally turning to look him in the eyes. 

"It's beautiful", she whispered, "and it feels so.... nice.. So comfortable, like I'm cuddled up with you and Dad at the South Pole at the fire. But without the cold air." 

A shiver ran through her at that thought and she made a face. Having only been in the Fire Nation for most of her early life it had taken her some time to get used to the fact that there were places where it was not acceptable to wear light, breathable robes all year round. 

Zuko laughed and the fire around them shifted a bit, bursting the bubble, which led to the gentle waves returning. 

"It does feel like that. For me, it feels like home. Like this is where I'm meant to be." 

Izumi nodded and smiled. 

"I think Dad would also like this very much." 

Zuko smiled back at her and slowly, the flames started to calm down and to return to his hands. 

"Yeah, yeah he would. But don't tell him yet, alright? It is a surprise that Aunt Katara and I have been working on together. Don't want to spoil all the fun for him, okay?" 

Izumi nodded again and put a hand on her chest: "I won't say anything! Promise!" 

"That's good." 

And with that, he brought his palms back to the front of his chest and let the now quite small, purple flame rest between them for a bit, before taking one final deep breath and letting it disperse like the red one before. 

"Was that it?", Izumi asked sadly and she started to involuntarily pout again, looking up at him with those large, begging eyes he already knew so well. After years of training, he had finally been able to pride himself with knowing how to withstand these cunning attacks of teary puppy-eyes, but... not today. Today was all about Izumi, so he guessed that one more fiery display could not hurt. 

He let out a sigh, but the smile stayed on his face. 

"Alright, one more. But after that, you'll have to return to bed. Deal?" 

Izumi nodded enthusiastically and grinned: "Deal! Now show me!" 

For what was going to be the last time this night, he again moved to gather his chi. 

Zuko could feel the exhaustion starting to pull on his muscles, his mind and, most importantly, his inner fire. It had been a long time since he last bent like that, and never had it been for this long, and so he could feel its strain all over him. But he told himself to push through.

'Just give her this last thing, then you can rest.' 

As he began to close his eyes again and moved his hands to his sides, he suddenly got an idea what he would show Izumi this last time, as a finale of sorts. 

Channelling the current source of his firebending one more time, he let it twist and turn, slowly letting go of the palace walls, of the heat of the sun and the volcano beneath them, of the colour red. Just like his thoughts when meditating, he let these energies travel through his body, through his mind and then, he let them go, like a bird taking flight above their heads. 

Zuko let out a breath. So far, so good. 

As these thoughts now disappeared and only the comforting warmth of being at the South Pole during a particular beautiful midnight sun seemed to remain, he shifted his focus again and at last, there were other images forming in his mind. 

A beach, a real one this time, with dark sand that shifted under his feet and stuck to his wet legs and arms as he played with it. Water lapping at his feet as he stood in the shallow water, slowly being moved by gentle waves. 

The sun standing high in the sky and its rays hitting the water all around him, making it sparkle like a light blue crystal. Water as clear as a crystal, and seemingly also as cold, or so he had once thought. In fact, he had believed that for most of his life. But, like everything in the past few years, these things had also changed a lot. 

He thought of an empty hallway, having snuck away from the guards and the noblemen waiting for them after every turn. Of a curtain that they hid behind, careful not to let anyone accidently see them. The first time that he saw it, it was accompanied by the ringing and overjoyed laughter of a young child. A child - a girl - that had not only been able to produce her own flames, but that had mastered this technique to such a degree that there was now a light blue fire dancing on her palms. 

Zuko had never seen anything like that, and just like his sister, he was in awe, extremely thrilled to experience this new kind of fire. 

He did not let his thoughts drift to the years following this innocent, first encounter. Rather, he focused on what these flames now meant to him, after years of continuous hard work, of achievements that were way too often followed by yet another setback. But also years of commitment, one that only few had been able to understand at the start, but that had proved to be worthwhile. 

He felt his insides become light, like a gust of air, like the shallow waters on Ember Island, like Azula's childlike laughter still echoing in his mind, like the rare smiles that his little sister now allowed herself to give him from time to time. 

This time, he opened his eyes before the colour of the flames began to change. Just as the first sparks of azure started to intermingle with the deep, darker blue from before, he brought both of the flames to one hand and lifted it up, over their heads.   
Maybe Izumi had missed the new colour, because she started raising her brows again: "What's with this one, Dad? Do you not want me to see it?" 

"Just you wait", he smiled as he finally felt the colour shift into place, a beautiful light blue flame now surely resting in the palm of his right hand. 

"Now", he whispered, leaning forward to look her directly in the eyes, "let's see what we have up there." 

Tilting his head up, he looked at his hand and could feel Izumi following after a few seconds. Focusing on the task at hand, he took a deep breath and when he released it, he felt the fire respond to his will immediately and jump from his hand into the air above them. 

However, it did not behave like the purple flame from a few minutes ago. This fire did not spread and engulf them, it stayed above their heads, shifting slowly but surely into the shape Zuko had imagined in his mind. 

He heard Izumi gasp beside him as it became clear which shape he was going for. 

"It's a dragon!", she almost screamed, unaware of who might hear them, "A blue dragon!"

He still had to concentrate a lot to keep up the shape, so he just gave her an affirmative hum and furrowed his brow, also lifting his other hand and twisting them in the air, the movement straining the muscles in his hands and arms. the head of the dragon was not yet fully formed, there were still flames escaping from time to time, breaking out into the air and destroying the design he was trying to create. 

Zuko tried to steady his breathing. 'Just a few more minutes.' 

He was suddenly startled by a clapping noise right in front of him. For a just a moment, he looked down at his daughter to see what had happened, and forgot how to breathe. 

Izumi had clasped her hands in front of her chest, her fingers tightly interlaced with each other. Her face was still turned upwards, towards the night sky, towards his fire, his dragon. She had opened her glowing eyes wide and he could make out the reflection of the light blue flames dancing and intermingling with the golden colour of her irises. The wonder on her face had left her mouth hanging open, the corners turned up into an surprised, but ecstatic smile. 

Zuko was sure that time stopped working in that one moment. Because from one second to another he was back behind the heavy, red curtain, staring into the exact same eyes, a girl with the same wonder on her face sitting right in front of him. Sure, her hair had been a lot straighter and well-kept, just like her clothes, but ignoring all that, they were the same. There was a girl on a balcony at night that overlooked a garden and the twinkling lights of a city in the distance and there was a girl in the small but safe space behind a velvet curtain that was only interrupted by the thin line of daylight that managed to sneak through gap between the curtain and the floor. Both of these girls were illuminated by a flickering blue flame and both of these girls were equally mesmerized by it. The innocent wonder of a child, frozen in time. 

He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest and thus he started to breath with a newfound lightness that his fire directly responded to. 

Just like that, it was not so hard anymore to keep the shape of the dragon and he slowly lowered his arms. The dragon followed and so did Izumi's eyes. Not once did they leave the shimmering blue body, circling around them, slicing though the air with a grace he knew only one firebender really possessed. 

The dragon felt almost alive like this, so he just had to move his hands and arms a little bit to make it fly higher, above their heads and then suddenly plunge downwards, only to catch itself right between their chests, letting out sparks of azure fire into the air in front of Izumi's face and finally continuing to circle around them. 

This motion finally made Izumi close her eyes for a second and start to giggle. 

"This fire tickles too", she said, shaking her head a bit to get rid of the sparks. She then turned to focus her attention back on the dragon. 

"It's really beautiful", she finally softly whispered, "not like the dragons they have at the festivals. This is way better." 

Her gaze left the moving dragon for a while and she smiled brightly at Zuko. 

"I think this is my favourite surprise!"

"Oh is it now?", he smirked, now being able to talk and control the dragon at the same time with a newfound ease, "Was my rainbow fire not cool enough for you?" 

Immediately, Izumi started to shake her head. 

"No, no, that was sooo cool! Like, really cool, but this... It's a dragon! And a blue one! I have never seen a blue one. This is such a pretty colour!"

He hummed. "I quite like it as well." 

"It actually reminds me of Aunt Azula's fire... don't you think so?", she smiled at him questioningly. 

"Oh really?", he laughed, faking a surprised impression. 

"Yes, absolutely!", Izumi started, "her fire is the exact same colour! But.. it's hotter, like waay hotter than this. And it doesn't tickle, it's just hot. But still... very pretty! Extremely pretty!" 

Zuko nodded: "You're right, Azula's fire is really pretty. Do you know that she was about your age when she discovered her blue fire?" 

"No! Really?", Izumi exclaimed, "but I just discovered my bending today!" 

"That's true", Zuko started to lower his arms, finally starting to tire out, and the dragon followed his movements, now resting on his crossed legs, "I also discovered mine pretty late, but it's different for every person. So no need to worry about that." 

"Hm", a conflicting look quickly crossed her features, but disappeared just as quickly, "Okay!", she smiled. 

He smiled back and finally let his grip on the fire lessen, breathing in and out one final time before the dragon, just like the red and purple flame from before, started to shrink in on itself and finally dispersing into a plethora of glimmering blue sparks. 

"Can I tell you a secret?", he asked as he leaned down to her to be able to whisper in her ear. 

His question was met with an enthusiastic nod from Izumi. 

"Of course!" 

"Alright", he chuckled, "When I was younger, I was always kinda jealous of Aunt Azula's fire. I mean... you have seen it yourself. It is really beautiful and nobody else, that I knew of, had been able to produce blue flames. So I was always watching her when she bent, but making sure nobody saw me." 

He chose to leave it at that. Right now, this was how he wanted to remember these memories of Azula and himself. And Izumi did not need to know more than that, yet. 

She laughed and then grinned at him: "Hm, I can see why you were jealous. Blue fire is way cooler than orange one!"

Zuko sighed: "Right?! I know!" 

Then he quickly raised one finger in front of her forehead. 

"But don't you ever tell her that I said that! She will continue to annoy me with this until we are both old and cranky." 

"Okay", she giggled, "I promise!" 

She then let her expression become almost mockingly serious and put a hand on her chest, right above her heart. 

"A Princess Promise!" 

"Oh wow", he raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms, smiling softly as a grin started to break through Izumi's facade, "If it's a Princess Promise then I guess I can rest easy now."

"Oh absolutely, you can!" 

◊◊◊

Zuko gathered her up into his arms. If he was being honest, she was really getting too big for this kind of stuff, but he could just not find it in him to stop. This just got reinforced by the fact that he knew for certain that she enjoyed being picked up and carried around just as much as Sokka or him loved to hold her like this. He settled Izumi on his hip and, before going inside, turned towards the twinkling lights of Caldera city one last time. 

"Just one last thought", he started and Izumi looked at him curiously, her eyelids already growing heavy, "If 'normal' fire was really this bad and scary like the Sages might make it seem, do you think it would be able to produce something this beautiful?" 

He removed one of his arms from her back and pointed towards the city. 

"Every one of these lights is a small flame, nothing more and nothing less. It's not the same colourful dragon fire, but I think it's very beautiful in its own way. And to think that all of these small fires combined like this lead to this amazing scenery down there.... Every time I go out here to look at it... it almost seems like a vast ocean of little lights down there, doesn't it? Like a mirror image of the starry sky above, don't you think?" 

When he got no answer, but only a rather indistinct hum of approval, Zuko looked down and found that Izumi had already buried her nose in his robes, clutching at his neck and fighting real hard to keep her still puffy eyes open. 

He chuckled. "Alright, I think we've seen enough for tonight. Time to get back to bed, ok?" 

She nodded and suppressed a small yawn by completely burying her face in his chest. "Lesgo", came as a muffled sound from beneath. 

"Alright", he whispered as he held her close und stepped over the threshold and into her room. With a flick of his wrist he lit one of the candles on her bedside table, casting a warm and cosy light over this side of the room. 

"Will you be alright on your own tonight?", Zuko asked Izumi as he moved to pull the covers which had been thrown to the floor back onto the bed. "You know, that you can always stay with Dad and me, right? Especially tonight." 

He did not get an immediate answer. Instead another yawn snuck itself past her lips and then she slowly nodded her head, sinking lower into the plush pillow under her head. 

"... 'Tis fine, really. I'm..", another yawn, ".. 'm big now.. strong.. I can do it." 

He chuckled. That was the Izumi he knew. He was glad that she was already back to her usual ways. Such a relief. 

"Hmm, if you say so, but I'll still stay here till you've fallen asleep, ok?"

"That's ok", she smiled up at him and pulled the covers over her chin. 

Zuko quickly went to the sitting area to get a chair and then settled at her side, brushing the hair out of her face. Her eyes were almost completely closed when suddenly they shot open again.

Izumi looked up with a newfound hope in her eyes. For just one moment, all the sleepiness and dizziness seemed to have left her eyes and body. 

"You think I'll also be able to make rainbow fire one day? Just like you? Maybe I could show the turtleducks then, to say sorry." 

He smiled fondly down at her and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "I'm sure they already have. Forgiven you, I mean. They adore you, so they won't be angry for long." 

He leaned back a bit. "And I'm also sure that with enough time and practise, you'll also get to bend rainbow fire. Just be patient. And... should there ever be a problem... I think I know two friends who might be able to help you out." He grinned and Izumi smiled elated, though already growing tired again. 

That seemed to have satisfied her, as her eyelids promptly slipped shut again and she turned so that the side of her face was presses into her pillow, facing Zuko. 

She let out a long sigh, smiled, and just like that the candle beside her went out, leaving only a narrow, calm column of smoke that slowly rose to the ceiling. 

"Goodnight", she whispered. And then: "I love you, Dad." 

Smiling, he gave her another kiss, this time on the cheek. 

"I love you too, 'Zumi. Sleep well." 

He did not count the seconds but it was just moments after that he could feel her inner flame starting to calm, her breathing slowing down, the well-deserved sleep claiming her body after a long day - and night - of many unexpected turns and events. 

Zuko leaned back in his chair and chose to watch his daughter sleep peacefully for just a few minutes more. The door to the balcony was still open and a light breeze found its way into the room from outside. Yue seemed to glow even stronger, now that everything had settled down. 

He thanked Agni that, in the end, everything had worked out. Izumi was right. She was strong. Stronger than everyone believed her to be. Stronger than he had been at her age. 

That was why he was not afraid. His daughter was amazing and beautiful and incredible... just for being herself. And there was nothing that could ever change that, not for him. 

She would be alright. They all would be. 

So he closed his eyes, let go und just ... breathed.

**Author's Note:**

> (title is from Daughter - Sleeping At Last)
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr!  
> Atla blog: [life-happens-wherever](https://life-happens-wherever.tumblr.com)  
> Come and talk to me if you'd like!


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